I just picked up the DVD “directors cut” of THX1138. Now I have to say this movie was one of my favourites for a long time. I enjoyed it’s bleak filming and how George made due with his somewhat low budget. His framing of shots in malls and office buildings was wonderful. If you weren’t looking for it, it looked like a set. If you were looking for it you could tell it was just an everyday location framed to not expose the Burger King or Photomat.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the king of mutating reissues and I’ll admit I put this movie back on the shelf 3 or 4 times before I finally decided to give it a go. I wanted this reissue to be great. I wanted Lucas to clean it up a little, scrub the sound and really let this movie shine for what it was - a fledgling directors first major film.
Now before I go any further I have to say I didn’t make it all the way through the DVD. In fact, I turned it off at around 17 minutes. For one, each new chapter turned on the subtitles so I had to keep grabbing for the remote to turn them back off. I don’t know if this is a DVD disc problem, a problem with my player (I have two but they are both the same make/model) or an intentional programming annoyance. I’m interested to hear if others encountered this same problem.
For the most part I could deal with the few added digital inserts I saw. When THX was working the robot arm and George decided to add a few bits and pieces to that scene, it didn’t bother me too much. I don’t think it added to the scene and the digital additions stuck out like a sore thumb, but I could deal with it. But what made me turn the movie off was the scene when THX is at home watching the hologram of the dancing naked woman and George decided to edit in a digital jerk-off machine. WHY? It was quite clear what THX was up too.
Why does Lucas feel the need to edit the hell out of his past movies? THX1138 wasn’t a masterpiece and all the editing in the world won’t make it one. But it was a cool movie which showed some creative work arounds of a director. Why not just leave well enough alone and let us, the people who enjoy the original, watch the movie as it was first released? At least include two versions on the DVD or even release a second DVD of the theatrical release. I know several people who would buy both.
Anyway, to avoid this turning into a pitting, what did you think of the new “directors cut” of THX1138?
Better yet, what should I do with my copy? I thought about dipping it in dog poop and mailing it back to Lucas with a note attached that says “this was the last thing I will ever buy from you again. I send it to you as a gift because I don’t want this crap passing through my optical nerves”
